November 6, 2006 Sentators continue amendment dicussion By JORDAN WISKEMAN Staff Reporter JLWIO62@PSU.EDU Paul Fogle, senator of the School of Public Affairs, was voted by senators as the head of the SGA Rules Committee at their Oct. 19 meeting. The committee will create rules and regulations for the SGA, and while Fogle will run the committee, he will not have a vote in any decisions the committee makes. Any decisions the comittee makes still need to be approved by the senate before they are official. The nominees were senators Fogle, Marques Stewart, Matt Mahoney, and Kervens Dorcely. During the time reserved to discuss old business, SGA President Ariel O’Malley explained that senators could not vote on the two pending changes to SGA constitution amendments. Amendment proposals are required to be posted publicly for the entire student body before the SGA can vote on them. O’Malley said that they were still not posted and could therefore only be discussed by senators during the meeting. Senator Matt Mahoney, who proposed the amendment, said he was unaware that it was his responsibility to post the amendment proposals but that he would do so after the meeting. He then explained the two proposals to the senators. He said he wanted senators to make a well-informed decision. Also in this meeting, senators discussed the Oct. 30 visit of Amish speaker Sam S. Stoltzfus to Penn State Harrisburg. The presentation is about forgiveness, especially in the wake of the recent Amish school shooting in Lancaster. "I'd like to see the efforts here, from the Penn State Harrisburg family, reaching out to everone else." - Donna Howard, SGA advisor The Domestic Abuse Awareness program, sponsored by campus police on Oct. 24, was also discussed as well. There is also a drawing for a football signed by Ben Roethlisberger. O’Malley also encouraged senators to participate in PSH Family and Friends Day on Oct. 28. The proposed amendments were discussed again during the Oct. 26 meeting. “1 don’t think any change needs to be made to the first amendment. I think it just needs to be killed,” said Senator Fogle. “The second amendment is an oversight made by previous members of the SGA years ago though, so that amendment should probably be changed.” Following talk of amendment changes, SGA advisor Donna Howard reminded senators to help with both Family and Friends Day and Open House. “I’d like to see the efforts here from the Penn State Harrisburg family reaching out to everyone else,” said Howard. O’Malley then informed senators that PSH Food Services asked that the SGA create a survey for students to help determine what students do and don’t want from campus food. Vice President Augie Bravo then announced that he made some phone calls over the weekend to work something out so the SGA can send 100 PSH students to Field of Screams. “We want to do something fun for the student body,” said Bravo. Other activities announced included the Date Auction planned for Nov. 14, a trip to New York sponsored by'the Black Student Union and the School of Humanities on Nov. 4, and Stuff-a-Plush on Dec. 14 THE CAPITAL TIMES BSU real talk forum By BSU STAFF Guest Reporters NJWI23@PSU.EDU October 23, the Black Student Union (BSU) hosted a forum titled “Learn or Die.” The forum highlight ed school safety and its relevance to Penn State Harrisburg. The guest speaker, Kevin Stoehr, Chief of Police at PSH. spoke as an expert matter of school safety. His in- sight and knowl edge helped the forum stay grounded in facts and logi cal reaso- pose for a picture after their successful "Learn or die" forum ing be hind school violence and those who perform these acts. The moderator, Kristin Gillead, be gan the forum by inviting the audi ence to put themselves in the position of the Amish students who were re cently murdered in school. She proceeded to probe the audience with questions related to violence in inner city schools vs. suburban and rural schools, perceptions of college PSH students given intimate protection By DANA MARIE RAY Guest Reporer DMRSII4@PSU.EDU I slipped into the back of the Gallery Lounge, a comfortable sitting room filled with half-backed couches and other hang out area decor, and searched for a seat among the ten or so students already seated. Three girls were sitting scattered about the room, all ofthem awkwardly trying not to glance at the people beside them. The other students are male. The speaker, Mary Lou Martz, the campus nurse, is standing at the podium about to begin the lecture. Its title: abstinence and contraceptives. This is a subject that is as interesting as it can be controversial. We began by going around and stating our previous exposure to sex education so she can get a sense of where we are coming from. Most appear to be there to find the other side of the coin from total abstinence and the others are there just for information, “To see what it is all about” as one girl put it. “Contraceptives: defined as any process, device, or way that prevents conception.” the ending of a pregnancy, as the speaker emphasized. This was an important aside emphasis the difference between the coming debate and that of the often drag out fights over abortion. “We do not discuss this issue in this co-curricular, nor will we ever recommend or provide means to end pregnancies,” she stated. “The school does not have a policy in this subject.” With this clarification, we matter ot-factly dove into our subject matter. In the following fifty minutes we were instructed in every possible way that has been invented to prevent pregnancy and/or sexually transmitted diseases (stds) from the generally used condom to sterilization to abstinence. Each was explained as well as its draw backs and advantages over other students by on and off-campus po lice officers, the effects of parenting on Generation Millennium, and the safety of students here at PSH. With a turnout of about 40+ stu dents, faculty, and staff, an over whelming amount of questions and ideas were raised during the forum. This event was put together by Ker vens Dorcely, the chief of staff for the BSU, Gillead, Marques Stewart, chair of events, and collaborative ef forts from other BSU officers. This forum was the first of the Real Talk series that the BSU plans to host throughout the school year. The Black Student Union thanks everyone who made it to “Learn or Die’ - and we extend an open invita tion to any and everyone to join the BSU during our next forum. products. Of course she did point out that most stds or pregnancies while using the tools were from either misapplication or negligence to apply in the first place. Here she memorably commented: “Think with your head and not your pants.” In all, there were over eleven general categories that could be pursued with even more varying products under each. I suppose that this is what amazed me the most about the lecture. Never could 1 have ever conceived the idea that so many possible tools were out there to prevent stds and pregnancy. Could it be possible that one would go so far and through so much to stay safe? This is where a brief slide appeared about abstinence. 100% effective. No pregnancies. No stds possible. Then we move on. She commented that most people would most often pursue abstinence Contraceptives are defined as any process, device or way that prevents conception. Various types of condoms, as seen above, are a good form of contraception. because of religious values. Perhaps this is so but 1 believe that there is another side to this discussion than is usually discussed, reasons beyond its simple effectiveness or religious stigma. There is more to the study of contraceptives than its effectiveness to prevent pregnancy and stds. There are more than moral values to consider. There are emotional reasons. Perhaps your first response to this proposition is ridicule. “Emotional? I’m not emotional. Why should that involve me then?” I am not saying A new hang out in the works By MARIAM ELHADRI Staff Reporter MUEI77@PSU.EDU “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” We all have heard this saying before, and as college students, it may hit closer to home than usual. We are constantly surrounded by academic settings at Penn State Harrisburg, acquiring most of its stressful aspects Now students have been complaining all over campus about the university’s negligence to recognize their relaxation needs. It is obvious our campus has not provided a student union center, or any proper setting that balances its students’ needs; but is anyone doing anything about it? According to the students, the answer is no. Out of 100 students randomly surveyed, 88 percent felt the need for a student union building and would use the facility if provided to them. (Not a scientific study) Yet still, none of the student organizations or clubs have stepped up to help advance this plan. It is merely a wishful whim on the minds of two students, Kervens Dorcely and Sahar Safaee. These two members of the Student Government Association addressed the idea at one of their meetings. Dorcely stated, “This whole project is a somewhat grassroots movement, advice on this as connected to sentimentality but rather to one’s spirit. I am saying that more goes on in sex than simply a physical connection or a good time. It joins those people together in their spirits whether they will it or not. Each time a couple has sex and then separates, it makes the act less permanent than it was before. Who wants to become married and then find that it will not be what was expected? I’ve heard it described as duct tape. Every time you tape something and then remove it, the tape gets less sticky and adhesive. Sex is the same way. You keep on doing it with multiple people and it becomes less of something to bring two people together and simply to an exchange of body fluids. Nothing glorious or exciting about that, eh? 1 think that it can be incredibly damaging to a person if one continues in this act outside of the life long spiritually in a way that can never be regained. It leaves scars. It hurts to loose what felt so wonderful, that relationship. Why not simply keep it all on hold until you can have it with just one person for the rest of your life? To find complete satisfaction in the person you marry and not plagued by knowing that what you have with this person is not special since it was shared with one or more-other people in their lives? This is the other factor that we need to consider in dealing w ith the question of premarital sex. Sahar and I saw a need and are trying to solve the problem.” Dorcely also stated their major concern dealt with giving underage students, or people with out a car, a there was a student union section in the CUB. Students sit and relax between classes in the lobby of The school then consisted of Olmsted. With a lack of a Student Union, students are • • • . . . „ forced to use places like the lobby, Stacks Market, or i un ' seniors, and graduates, the Library to kill time between classes. J ust on their ln or out. The on-campus living community was not as thriving as the current population. Not many people were around there as is. Due to lack of interest and meager usage, the student union section was shut down. To base any assumptions, though, that the student union building would have the same malfunction as it has in the past would be paradoxical. PSH is growing rapidly and students have been complaining of boredom. If this campus expects to keep up with its development as a four-year college, it is going to have to compromise to the all around needs of its students. Is this matter a question of lack of interest or just lack of initiative? place to go and have fun, and be safe at the same time. Further action has still yet to be taken. It has to be approved through many different levels of authority, and there is also the matter of property issues and funding. A student union building would allow students to unwind and socialize outside of the educational setting. Most major universities and campuses have them. They typically include a pool table, foosball table, air hockey, a big screen TV, and snack machines. If you have been familiar with the PSH campus on a daily basis then you would have already observed that LGBTQ group should be formed to promote acceptance Maybe most students and faculty have not noticed that there is a desperate need for there to be a group organization tosupporttheLGßTQ (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Questioning) members in our Penn State Harrisburg community. It is striking that at a school as well known and respected as ours, with as much diversity as we have, that we do not have a place for everyone to be themselves and express their diverse contributions. Just to be clear, it is necessary to go over a few definitions. Lesbians are those women who are sexually attracted to other women. Gay usually refers to homosexual men, meaning men who are sexually attracted to other men. Bisexual refers to both men and women who are sexually attracted to both men and women. Transsexuals are people whose biological sex does not match their gender identity. commitment made in a marriage. Sex is undeniably something that creates intimacy between people. It happens that way. And having this relationship without a This means that someone born with male sex organs does not identify as male. The opposite is also true. A person born with female sex organs m ight not identify as female. The term questioning refers to those who are trying to figure out where they stand on the ladder of sexual orientation. These terms make certain implications and assumptions that are widely understood and accepted. However, it is important to note that our definitions of what it means to be male and female are basic and narrow. When one is born, he is given a script to memorize and follow throughout life, based on what the doctor tells commitment for the long haul makes when that relationship comes to an end. You are connected physically and The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Questioning group lends life support to those within the "community" as well as promotes acceptance. By SHANA DERSTINE Staff Reporter SKDSO29@PSU.EDU Igbt a facility like this is well overdue. Most students do their relaxing and socializing wherever they want. This often causes a conflict of interest between students there for opposite purposes. It would give people a place to relax without being a burden on the students doing work in Olmstead. Sophomore of the School of Business, John Hodges, said, “Since I don’t live on campus, relaxing in a student union building would be much better than in the noisy cafeteria or going the whole way home.” Years ago, before PSH was a four-year campus, his parents, it is his biological sex. It is interesting to think about how we were assigned our roles by a stranger. How many of us would have chosen to go down this road of being a girl or boy had we had the choice ourselves? This is something that most of us do not ever think about, but we should, and that is part of why we need groups like Speak Out, Axis, Undertones, Gay Straight Alliance, Allies, Trigon, GLAMA, and Rainbow Paws. These are all groups affiliated with the LGBT community at other Penn State Campuses, excluding University Park. Main campus alone, as one might imagine, has many different kinds of groups like this. There was what was called Capital Lambda. It was an organization which provided support and a social outlet for the LGBTQ members of the community as well as their friends and allies. It provided a space for discussion as well as a way to constructively deal with the stereotypes based on pure ignorance or fear that led to homophobia, heterosexism and general intolerance. This group no longer meets. Unfortunately, it has dissolved. There is a pamphlet in an obscure location in Olmsted about a University wide support network, but it is really essentially inactive at this campus. Those of you who are interested in reforming a group like this, please contact me. You do not have to be a member of the LGBTQ community to participate in a group like this one. Anyone who just wants to show support is welcome. Photo courtesy of Googto Images
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